Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Mr. Campbell is left handed and sits to the right of Brunet, who is right handed. McLaren is right handed and sits to Mr Brunet's left. That narrows up their work space a lot.

Floyd's mom, who has to be the most cheerful person here, taking pictures in the Press Room commenting that the children at home would like to see everything happening and that she is amazed "so many "intelligent" people are working on her son's case". God Bless her!

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What happens when a break is called and everyone here needs a bathroom break? They all go to a single rest room, which can only take 4 people at a time. So you see Floyd, the lawyers from each side and sometimes the arbitrators all at the same place. TBV, being a smart guy, understands that a Law School has to have many bathrooms and has scouted out a spot he can go to, where he can get whatever needs to be done, quickly. Smart man. But then he can't pass that awkward time with Floyd himself!

Parking on campus looks like it is a real adventure. The grades here are probably 15 or 16 percent, with each inch of parking taken up by cars. Parallel parking is probably very hard. USADA and Landis have a flat area, in the faculty lot that they access by a passcard. The press also have a roped off flat area across the street from the Law School. Probably 100 spaces are roped off for the 20 cars that park there so I feel very sorry for someone who must park on the grade because so many spaces are reserved for us. Each day, before the short but very steep climb to the Law School, we stop at the guard gate where we receive a parking pass for the day that allows us to park anywhere legal not controled by an access passcard.

USOC has also set up a small hospitality room with coffee and licorice for anyone who needs to recharge. The cafeteria is decent and fairly reasonable, with a good selection for lunch. After most day's session, my wife, Laura and I get to do some climbing on our bikes over the many beautiful vistas surrounding Malibu. It is beautiful here for us but it must be much less pleasant for the Landis family.

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It is very pretty here. Deer roam the lawns (the babies are very cute!) and the views of the Ocean in front and mountains/hills in the back are spectacular. Yesterday, eagles were flying over the hills.

First, let me say that I adore Floyd's mom. She gives me such hope that Justice will prevail in spite of everything.

Second, question for you: I think you or TBV said earlier that people from the AAA were there. Can you tell us what if any pressure that places on the arbitrators to do the right thing? If everyone in the room, hearing the same evidence, feels it's obvious that USADA has no case, etc, will Brunet and McLaren still be likely to vote against Landis because they feel like it? Or do you think that with the AAA watching (as well as the rest of the world), that Brunet and McLaren will feel pressure to do the right thing?

The Michael Powell we referenced as being the former FCC Chair is actually the AAA observer. he has been here every day watching the proceedings.I doubt that Brunet or McLaren care about his presence very much at all. This case is more about politics than it is a discplinary case.

I wonder if sending someone the stature of Michael Powell means that the AAA is taking this seriously. Can they refuse to provide further arbitration services until the anti-doping prosecution system cleans up it's procedural act?

Just to be clear: the Michael Powell here is not the FCC guy and the son of Colon Powell. He is a AAA employee, to wit: "Michael Powell is the Vice President of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) Los Angeles Regional Office that administers cases from San Luis Obispo south to Orange County and east to Nevada. He currently manages the third largest office in the AAA’s 34-office nationwide system, including a Los Angeles Roster of 250 Arbitrators and Mediators." (from some website where he was going to be a speaker at an upcoming event)

Total Poindexter Website Prize: to the fabulous geniuses over at trustbutverify, who not only are perhaps the most impassioned defenders of Floyd Landis' virtue beyond only the boy himself, but actually seem to understand the detailed scientific arguments they put out that the rest of us (well, me) are too stupid to even coherently summarize. Floyd, you better be innocent, or you owe these folks a *major* freakin' apology! (racejunkie)

"Who does awards for blogs? I sense a nomination is in order." (Carlton Reid, of BikeBiz)

"Hands-down champion of full-and I mean full-coverage of this hearing is the blog Trust But Verify. You'll have to have excellent background knowledge of the issues, and wade through page after page of detail to get to anything interesting, but it's raw and unfiltered and all there. The guy who runs the site, a cycling fan from Northern California, began casually providing a clearinghouse for Landis case news nearly 10 months ago, and now he has the haunted look of a man whose life has been hijacked and wants it back. (Loren Mooney, co-author of Positively False, at Bicycling)

"if you want the latest news on the Floyd Landis case, Trust but Verify is the go-to site. The author is biased in favor of Floyd (so am I) but the reporting is neutral and comprehensive." (12string musings)

About Me

About Us (Admissions)

TBV is personally biased towards Floyd. I think it'll be a better world if he proves his innocence, and some inquisitors meet their own just ends. Interspersed between daily link roundups are pieces of commentary slanted towards understanding what will prove innocence in the discipline proceeding, and what will rehabilitate his reputation in the public eye. Make of them what you will. Agreement with me is not required, though I am right.